Ship drive and steering device



May 5, 1959 H. 16% ET AL 2,884,889

SHIP DRIVE AND STEERING DEVICE Filed March 24, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 O0O0 83 83 r O O O 0 030 0 0 C) O 8% 0H0 8 OUO O O x 5 STARBOARDINVENTORJ.

HEINRICH JORG BY HEINRICH FLEISSNER ATTORNEY -Meaty 5, 1959 H. JORG ETAL 2,884,889

SHIP DRIVE AND STEERING DEVICE Filed March 24, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTORS. HEINRICH JORG BY HEINRICH FLEISSNER ATTORNEY United StatesPate 2,884,889 SHIP DRIVE AND STEERING DEVICE Heinrich Jiirg andHeinrich Fleissner, Augsburg, Germany, assignors of one-half to Paul 0.Tobeler, doing business under the name of Trans-Oceanic, Los Angeles,Calif.

Application March 24, 1955, Serial No. 496,576 1 Claim. (Cl. 115-44)This invention relates to a device and method to drive and to steerwater-borne vehicles, especially ships, by means of the ejection ofwater under pressure.

Water-borne vehicles such as ships are generally moved by screwpropellers, paddle wheels and the like and are steered by ruddersinstalled in the rear of the ship. The devices have the disadvantagethat they require the placing of movable parts outboard of the shipshull and thereby the essential parts are exposed not only to con tinuousdamage but also to wear and tea-r of sea water, sea weed, and underwatergrowths such as barnacles, and further they are inaccessible.

Another method of driving water have pipes installed in the stem to takein water and to have this water, after heating, ejected for the purposeof moving the craft. This system functions only intermittently and isnot economical. Therefore, it is unfit for large crafts and is used onlyin toy boats. Further, it cannot be used to steer the ship and anothermeans must be employed.

This invention provides a method for driving a ship without the usualoutboard movable parts and thus allows uniform, quiet propulsion andsteering, free from vibration with an increase of capacity andefficiency.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a pump within theship, driven by the usual engines, such as turbines or diesels, sucks inwater through tubing extending through the hull of the ship and ejectsit after it is evenly distributed through pressure tanks. The water isejected from the ship under pressure created in the pump throughfin-like ejection jets having their opening on the exterior of the hull.The intake suction openings are most favorably located symmetrically onboth sides of the hull adjacent the bow under the water line. Thisarrangement, in addition to providing a means for the entry of the waterinto the pump, causes a lessening of the waters resistance to theforward movement of the ship by decreasing the resistant surface to theextent of the cross-sectional area of the intake tubing and by thesucking in of the resisting mass of water.

A further advantage from having the intake tubing open at the bow isthat the sucking force of the pump causes the ship to be sucked ordriven forward with a force in addition to the propulsion provided bythe jets ejecting water under pressure toward the stern.

The substantial driving force of the ship is produced through ejectionjets having fin-like openings in the form of elongated, rectangular orsemiovoidal slots located on both sides of the hull under the waterline. These jets are formed slightly sloping downward and outward andtheir cross-section, position and number depend on the results desired.

The continuously discharged water from the jets flows alongside the hulland decreases the water pressure which acts against the hull. By thisflow a decrease of the frictional resistance of the ship isaccomplished. At the same time the normal adhesion of seaweed, scum andunderwater growth, which cause a rough surface and crafts has been to"ice increase frictional resistance of the ship, is prevented. Theimpact upon the water by the ejected water stream presses the shipforward. This method of driving the ship by the ejected waters isproduced more by its continuity and form rather than in its pressure.

A further advantage of the present invention is the ability given to theship to be completely turned on the spot without any steering gear orrudders. This is made possible by the'reverse jets which are directedforward on both sides of the ship. The reverse jets are, of course, usedfor moving the ship backward as well as for use in combination with theforwarding jets in turning the ship. Thus a ship provided with thedevice herein described is fully maneuverable without any externalmechanical moving parts and without steering gear or rudders. As aresult the ship moves quietly without vibration and faster than withother means of propulsion with a like engine capacity.

The intake, discharge and overboard tubing or piping can be of theconventional types. For purposes of maneuvering, backing and steering,gate valves are employed in the various piping and tubing. A comparisonof elements of the present device with the mechanical elements of theusual ship drives, including shafts, screws, rudders, etc., indicatesthat the maintenance and repair cost of the former should beconsiderably lower especially in view of the fact that the entiredevice, including pump, piping and jets, are situated in the inside ofthe ship, and consequently, are more easily accessible for repair andobservation than the conventional elements are. it should be noted thatthe word overboard, as used in this application in reference to tubingor piping, does not mean that the tubing or piping extends overboard butmeans that it is carrying water to be discharged overboard from withinthe ship to the water in which the ship is floating.

The pump in the present device in its function is equivalent to a screwpropeller in an enclosed housing where it has the advantage that theblades are subjected to impact only on one side. In contrast, a shipsscrew has to labor on all sides and therefore, requires much more powerfor the same amount of work done.

A. further feature in the present invention is the employment ofpressure tanks or accumulators between the pump and the jets. Thesetanks are not a necessity for operation but they are desirable and areused to provide a reserve of water under pressure and to compensate forany diiference between masses of water sucked in and ejected.

For the operation of the regulating valves and the throttling of thepump engine for change in power requirements, a remote controlinstallation can be employed to be operated from the bridge or someother desirable place. This can be operated by electric, hydraulic ormechanical means.

Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide an improved methodof driving and steering a water-borne vehicle which does not have anyexternal moving parts.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a device for drivingand steering a ship in which all the moving parts are accessible fromthe inside of the ship.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device for drivingand steering a ship which permits the ship to be free from vibration andto be uniformly and quietly driven and steered.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a method ofdriving and steering a water-borne vehicle which decreases theresistance of the vehicle to the water in which it is moving.

An object of this invention is to provide a device for driving andsteering a ship which can turn the ship on the spot without the use of asteering gear and rudder,

Other objects of invention will become apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Fig. 1 shows a plan view of the driving and steering device;

Fig. 2 is an elevation view of a ship showing the arrangement of theintake tubing and of the ejection jets;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the ship taken along the lines 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical view of lines 44 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical view of the ship taken along the lines 5-5 of Fig.3.

Referring to Fig. l, in operation water is sucked into the devicethrough intake openings 1 and passes through screens 2 which prevent theentry of undesirable solid matter to protect pump 5. The water sucked inflows through intake tubing 3 and suction valve 4 into pump 5. In pump 5the pressure of the water is increased to a predetermined desirableamount and then discharged through pressure regulating valves 6. Thesepressure valves would generally be operated by a man on the station butcould be operated through remote controls from another place such as thebridge of the ship. From pressure valves 6 the water is directed throughpressure or discharge piping 7 on both sides of the ship. Dischargepipes 7 direct the flow of Water into pressure tanks or accumulators 8.Pump 5 is driven by engine 10, the two being connected by coupling 9.From pressure tanks 8, where a reserve mass of water is continuallystored, the water flows and is directed through flow regulating valves11 into overboard piping 18 and thence, optionally, into ahead drivingejection jets 12 and/or reverse driving jets 12a. Flow regulating valves11 can be operated from a remote control board 14 which can be locatedon the bridge or other desirable places. Remote operating lines 13connect valves 11 with control board 14. Lines 13 can be wires forcarrying electric current, hydraulic tubing or mechanically operatedcables, depending upon the desired means of operation. In a like mannerlines 15 connect engine 10 with control board 14 which in operationserve to regulate the engine and pump speed.

For ahead cruising water would be directed only through jets 12. Ifthere is a current, for example, which would tend to set the ship tostarboard, then greater flow and/or more pressure would be effectedthrough the starboard jets than through the port jets. The sameoperation would be effected for ordinary slow turning to port. For fastturning on the spot to starboard, port ahead jets 12 and starboardreverse jets 12a would be opened wide and starboard ahead jets 12 andport reverse jets 12a would be closed. It thus can be seen how any typeof maneuvering could be effected.

Referring to Fig. 2, showing ship 16 and water line 17 from a side view,intake opening 1 and a portion of intake tubing 3 are extending out fromthe hull of ship 16 near how 21. The location of openings and 20a ofjets 12 and 12a, respectively, are indicated where they pass through theexternal surface of or the skin of the ship. Relieved portions 19 and19a of the hull of ship 16 are in the path of the flow of the water fromjets 12 and 12a, respectively.

the ship taken along the the In Fig. 3, taken along the lines 3-3 ofFig. 2, the direction of the flow of water into intake suctions 1 andthe discharge flow through ahead jets 12 are shown. Relieved portions 19and 19a are indicated as they appear in plan view.

Fig. 4 is a vertical view of ship 16 taken along lines 4-4 of Fig. 3 andshows the configuration of opening 20 of ahead jets 12 and of relievedportion 19 to substantially coinciding. Similarly, Fig. 5 is a verticalview of ship 16 taken along the lines 55 of Fig. 3 and shows intakesuction 1, relieved portion 19a and opening 20a of reverse jet 12a.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated in detail, itis to be clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration andexample only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, the spirit andscope of this invention being limited only by the terms of the appendedclaim.

We claim:

A ship having a driving and steering device, said device comprising apump, means to drive said pump, at least one intake tube, said tubehaving one end open and extending externally of the bow of said shipbelow the water line and having the other end attached to the suction ofsaid pump, a first accumulating tank on the port side of said ship, asecond accumulating tank on the starboard side of said ship, a firstdischarge pipe extending from and connecting said pump to said firsttank, a second discharge pipe extending from and con necting said pumpto said second tank, at least two ejection jets on the port side of saidship and at least two ejection jets on the starboard side of said ship,one overboard discharge tube extending from and connecting one end ofeach of said port ejection jets to said first tank, one overboarddischarge tube extending from and connecting one end of each of saidstarboard ejection jets to said second tank, flow regulating valves ineach of said overboard discharge tubes, remote regulating means for theoperation of said valves and said pump, each of said ejection jetshaving its other end extending into an opening in the hull of and belowthe water line of said ship so that said jets are open to exterior ofsaid hull, said other end of each of said jets having a semiovoidalopening formed in the walls of said jet, each of said jets beingsubstantially parallel to said hull and being adapted to permit a flowtherethrough in a slightly downward and outward direction in relation tosaid hull, at least one of said jets on each side of said ship havingits other end facing forward and at least one of said jets on each sideof said ship having its other end facing aft, and said hull exteriorhaving relieved portions adjacent and forward of said forward facingjets and adjacent and aft of said aft facing jets, said relievedportions having configurations to correspond to said openings in saidother end of said jets.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,207,990 Otto Dec. 12, 1916 1,484,075 Otto Feb. 19, 1924 1,914,038 Ousset al. June 13, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS 26,049 Great Britain 1912

